Breather device



June 5, 1934. E. MCCO'RMICK 1,961,445/

BREATHER DEVI GE Filed Feb. 23, 1932 i Il n l y s L l Patented June 5, 1934 1,961,445 BREATHER DEVICE' Elmer McCormick, Waterloo, Iowa, assignor to John Deere Tractor Company, Waterloo, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application February 23,

`1932, Serial No. 594,498

1 claim. (o1. 121-194) The present invention relates to an improvement in tractors and is more particularly directed to a crank case breather for tractor engines and thelike.

Although the device of the present invention is particularly adapted for use on a tractor engine, it is applicable to any type of engine to function in the capacity for which it was devised. i Obviously, its application to a tractor engine is of considerable importance by reason of the fact that tractor engines are usually employed in places where large quantities of foreign Inaterials fill the air.

Of the various-features embodied in the device of the present construction, one of the more important features resides in the disposition of the air filtering means. The device as a whole comprises an oil filler opening to the engine crank case and an air filtering means in the form of an oil filled core is disposed within the `filler in such a manner that it must be removed therefrom when adding oil to the engine. The removal of the iiltering means serves as a reminder to the operator to clean the filter thereby guarding against neglect in that respect, it being quite important to keep the air iilter clean to warrant eiiicient functioning of the device in the total capacity for whichk itA is designed. Moreover, the breather is so constructed that the element thereof which holds the air filter also acts asa funnel into which the engine oil is poured when the air lter is removed from the breather.

The various other features and advantages of the breather of the present construction will hereinafter be fully discussed in the following detailed description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawing, the breather is illustrated in cross section, the ysection being taken vertically and substantially along its vertical axis.

Referring now to the drawing, a fragmentary portion of an engine is indicated at1 which is preferably a wall of the crank case, which portion of the engine or crank case wall is provided with a tapped opening 2 for the reception of the breather unit. The breather unit has been so constructed as to take the place of the usual oil filler pipe through which oil is added to the crank case of the engine. The breather unit is provided with a funnel-shaped base 3 having a tubular stem 4 which is suitably threaded as at 5 for connection with the wall of the crank case and within the tapped opening 2 thereof. The

tubular stem or pipe 4 may be conveniently screwed into the crank case-with the use of a pipe wrench, or if desirable, the stem may be provided with suitable flat surfaces as at 6for accommodating a wrench or other suitable tool. The vupper portion of the base adjacent the tubular stem or pipe 4 is of a considerably larger diameter and comprises a funnel 7 into Which oil may be poured when filling the engine crank case. The upper end of the funnel portionof the base is provided with an annular recess 8 forming a shoulder 8a around theinner peripheral wall of the funnel for supporting the air filtering. core 9 which Ais so constructed as to extend 4downwardly into the funnel opening of the base memberlB. From the foregoing it is seen that the upper portion of the base 3 not onlyacts as a funnelbut also constitutes'a housing for the air filtering element or core 9. The base 3 is preferably va casting, although it may be constructed in any other suitable manner so long as the materials employed are of suflicient rigidity to dampen the .engine'vibration's transmitted to the breather unit as much as possible to prevent any foreign particles or oil retained by the air filter frombeing dislodged or to iind their way through the filter.

The air filtering element of the present convstruction is in thev form of a iianged kcontainer l0 having a peripheral fiange 11 for supporting the lter upon the shoulder 8a and to center the same within thev funnel. This container is filled with any suitable air cleaning substance such asv the ltering moss 12 which is conned between an upperv screen 13 and a lower screen 14. The upper screen 13 is securedV to the container 10 by means of a suitably shaped annular ring 15, whilethe lower screen is merely sup-l ported upon the bottom of the container. For the most efficient operation of the lteringelement 12, the ltering moss is saturated with oil, and in order to prevent any excess or dirty oil Yfrom draining out of the filtering mossand running intothe crank case, the lower screen is so shaped that any' of the oil which does drain through the ltering mosswill iiow laterally outwardly along the screen to thevwalls of the container. Obviously, the excess oil draining out of the iiltering moss is laden with the foreign particles that have `been separated out of the air, and in order to prevent this sur- -plus V4oil from flowing into the'crank case, the bottom of the container 10 is provided with an upwardly flared opening 16. The walls of rthis upwardlyv flared .opening cooperate with the trally thereof with a ring 17 for the removal of the ltering element 9 as a whole from within the funnel portion of the base.

A removable air inlet member in thel form of a vented stack 18 forms` theremainder. of the enclosure for the air filtering core element 9. The upper portion of the air inlet member or stack is provided with a deflector 19, while the lower end thereof is providedy with an enlarged semi-spherical cap 20 which has a laterally vdisposed annular shoulder 21 formed thereon havinga depending flange 22, the internal.: diameter of thev latter being substantially of the same diameterJ as the outer periphery of the funnel 7 to form a substantially air tight seal therewith. The flangedportionof the filtering, element` 9. is confined between a` pair of suitable gaskets or washers 23. and 24 respectively, the washer; 23` being` disposed'upon the shoulder'a formed by the recess 8, while the washer 24 is carried by the cap 20. By means of the gaskets 23, and 24 andthe depending sealingY flange 22 of. thecap 20, an air tight closure is provided between the air. inlet member 18 and the base 3, andall ofthe air which is drawn into the crank case; must necessarily pass upwardlyintov the deeetor 19` andy downwardly through the in1et18.

Any` suitable releasable means. may be providedfor` cooperationwiththis air tight closure to hold the sametightly. upon the funnel portion of the base 3;. and a preferred means-.for accomplishing` this purpose as herein provided comprises` a plurality of yieldable clamping units.25. Each of; these clamping units comprises a` pin,26 slidably mountedA in a pair of ears 2,7-v and.2.8 formedintegrally with the funnel portion of the base, the pin being, provided atiitsupper end with afinger loop 29 with the downwardly extending portion of the free end of the loop formingthe clamp 30. The clamp isatv allltimes urged downwardly by means of a spring-3L which isA interposed between the ear 2.73 andjaywasher abutting a` stop pin 32 secured to4 andmarried by theV pin 261 of theclamping unit; When these clamping units are in oper.- ativeposition asfillustratedinthe drawing, they f unctiongthrougliA theaction of their respective springsto urge the capz 2O and its4 associated partsrmly downwardlvupon the upper edge of; the funnel portionof the* base, the cap being held in vertical spaced relationto said edgeby virtue-of: the superimposed arrangement. of the gaskets 23 and 24 and the; peripheral flange of thelfilteringY element, .the flangel 22 of the cap, however,l overlapping ay portion of4 the. outer peripheral surface off the base.

Inl orderto maintain theclamps 30.in operative engagement with the cap, that portion of the,` cap extending between the horizontal flange 21 and the dependingiring 22 is formedinto an upwardly extending bead 33 which acts tok positively maintain theclamp ends 30 ofthe clamping units upon the horizontal shouldered portion 21 ofthe cap. This bead is also provided for the:purposegof retaining the gasket 24.within and dirt out of the filtering moss.

the cap.. This is accomplished by making the external diameter of the gasket somewhat larger than the internal diameter of the depending ring 22 and by forcing the excess portion of the gasket into the beaded portion of the cap whereby the gasket will be frictionally held against loosening.

As hereinbefore explained, the filtering element must be removed when adding oil to the engine, the purpose being to remind the operatorto clean the filtering element. To clean the filtering element is a simple operation and merely requires a small quantity of fresh and cleanoil in which the element may be agitated back. and forth to Wash the accumulated grit This operation will at the same time moisten the filtering moss whereby` the most efficient operation of the breather is obtained when the filtering element is replaced.

Becauseof the numerous times-thatthe ltering elementl is removed during the life of the engine, it is possible that either one or both of the gaskets 23 and 24 may be omitted or misplaced.' For. thisreason, the dimensions ofv the filtering element and the cap are so proportioned that the breather unit-Y can still be used. effectively for the purpose for which it was devised until one or twok new gaskets may be procured to replaceieither or both of the lost gaskets. This feature greatly enhances the utility of the devicev and isembodied in the breather in the following manner. The gasket' 23.is ordinarily frictionallyretained. within the recess 8, but in the event that. it islost: through continual usage of the device, the depth of. the container l()l is` such that itA will still be maintained in spaced relation;to the: bottom 34 of theV funnel portion of the base whereby thel ilanged'portion ofA a filteringA element. will still be capable of properly seating upon the shoulder-8a; Also, thethicknessiof, the'iiange 11` of the filtering element is such-.thatzthe horizontal flange or shoulder 21 of the cap will. properlyf bear against the top side of the flange ll to provideian effective seal to prevent: by-passingof air aroundithe filtering elementxeventhough` the gasket 23 is omitted. This-seal, of course, is at all timesaided bythe peripheral contact of! the depending sealing flange 22;'oflthecap 20 with'the-laterally outer peripheralsurface ofthe funnel, In the-event that the gasket 24 is misplaced or lost, the cap wilLstillibev capableof bearing against the top side of. theiiange 11 of the filtering element because ofi the predetermined-thickness of said flange'regardlessof the presence or absence of the lower gasket 23.' In this connection, it is to be noted that` the depending flange portion of the cap 20ris of such lengthv thati normally, with bothigaskets inzplace, the flange will overlap the outerperipheral surface of; the funnel sulciently to effectively, prevent infiltration. of airr'into the breather at this point.v Now, if thei gasket 23.is omitted, the depending sealing flange-'22 ofthe cap willoverlap the outer peripheral surface of. the funnel to a greater extent,v thereby increasing the effectiveness of the sealingA flange, and in cooperation: therewith the gasket 2.4i will not only be seated againstY the flange` of `the filtering element but willl also be seated upon the upper periphery of the upstanding edge ofthe funnel. And in the eventr thatr the gasket 24 is omittedl along with the gasket 23, the depending Sealing flange of the cap will overlap the outer peripheral surface of the funnel the maximum amount possible, as limited by the proportions of the cap and the funnel elements of the breather and thereby produce a still more effective seal against the infiltration of air at this point. In other words, the sealing flange 22 has its effectiveness increased inversely proportional to the effectiveness of the inner seal between the cap and funnel as determined by the presence or absence of the gaskets 23 and 24. It is 0bvious that the yieldable clamping members will at all times serve the purpose for which they have been devised regardless of the omission of either or both of the gaskets 23 and 24, and in resiliently urging the cap 20 against the flange 11 the springs aid in establishing the inverse ratio mentioned.

The Ventilating air is drawn into the crank case in any conventional manner, for example, by the suction caused by the reciprocating of the pistons, or by the reduction of the pressure in the crank case by means of any known suction method. Of the foregoing two methods, the latter is preferable, since the air is then only drawn downwardly through the breather as contrasted with the former method wherein the air is reciprocated through the breather. The manner in which a breather of the present construction acts upon the grit laden air that is drawn into the crank case is as follows:

The air is drawn upwardly into the deector 19 and its direction is abruptly reversed to flow downwardly through the lter stack 18. During this initial reversal or the air, some of the heavier particles of the foreign materials in the air will be separated by inertia, these particles striking the top wall of the deflector and dropping downwardly out of the same. The deiiector also serves as a protection to prevent other objects from entering the intake pipe of the lter which might impair the operation thereof. As the air passes down the stack or intake pipe 18 it then enters the enlarged opening dened by the interior of the cap where the air velocity is suddenly diminished due to the difference in the transverse areas between the intake pipe and the cap. This sudden change in the velocity of the air causes a turbulence above the iiltering element whereby more of the foreign particles are separated from the air in the chamber deiined by the cap and the upper screen of the ltering element, and the particles that are here separated may be thrown to the lateral extremities of this chamber, most of the particles falling directly upon the filtering element. From this point the air passes directly through the moss of the filtering element whereby the major portion of the foreign particles, principally the smaller ones, are finally separated from the air which then passes into the crank case.

Whatever foreign particles, if any, which may still remain in the air after passing from the moss are negligible. However, if the operation of the breather should be impaired somewhat for any reason, such as may occur if the oil in the iiltering moss had dried up, another partial separation of the foreign particles from the air is brought about in the chamber defined by the lower screen and the bottom of the container 10. As hereinbefore explained, the bottom of the container forms a sump for -excess oil that drains out of the iiltering element. Obviously, some excess oil will generally be present in this sump, and by reason of the fact that the diameter of the flared opening in the container is much smaller than the internal diameter of the container 10, another turbulence of the air will occur before it passes down into the tubular stem orpipe of the base and into the crank case. During this turbulence, a large percentage of any ne foreign particles that may pass the moss will under certain adverse conditions be caught and retained by the sump oil that encircles the flared opening 16. The foreign particles are stated as being fine since it is highly improbable that anything else than the finer particles would escape through the moss of the filtering element if and when the occasion should arise that the breather is not functioning properly.

The device of the present invention requires no attention aside of an occasional cleaning of the air filter when it is removed from the breather, the removal of the filter, being necessary whenever oil is being added to the engine, and serves as a constant reminder to clean the air filter core. To remove the air intake member 18 and the filter, each of the clamping members must be raised against the action of the spring connected therewith and then turned. When released in inoperative position` each clamping member will move downwardly until the stop pin 32 engages the upper face of the ear 28 and will be held in this position by the action of the spring. After the air intake member and filter are removed, oil can be conveniently poured into the wide mouth of the base funnel without spilling. Spilled oil about an engine is always objectionable since it causes dirt and grit to collect, and when such deposits 11'0 occur near an engine opening, such as the breather or oil filler pipe, they are apt to nd their way into the engine particularly when adding oil thereto or they may get into the engine when repair work is being done.

Although the drawing by way of example discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the foregoing description is specifically directed to this disclosure, it is to be understood that many changes may be made in the 120 structure shown Without departing from the essence and scope of the invention. Therefore, I do not intend to be limited to the specific details shown and described but only insofar as the appended claim is so limited.

What I claim is:

In air filtering apparatus, oil filler means for an engine comprising a breather pipe having one end thereof connected with the crankcase of said engine and having its other end formed into an 130 enlarged housing serving as a funnel for said pipe when oil is being supplied to the engine, a removable air inlet member including a stack having an enlarged portion at its lower end arranged to be mounted over the enlarged housing 135 portion of said breather pipe, and air cleaning means of substantially the same size as and disposed within said enlarged housing, serving to substantially ll the same and adapted for cleaning the air entering said crankcase, said air 14() cleaning means being removable from said enlarged housing to permit the use of the latter as a funnel when supplying oil to the crankcase of the engine.

ELMER MCCORMICK. 

